


Story of our Skin

by InsaneRedDragon



Series: Grains of Sand [31]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Past Violence, Scars, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 22:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneRedDragon/pseuds/InsaneRedDragon
Summary: For the prompt: Percival and Merlin are naked in bed together, just lazing about, and Merlin or Percy is comparing how they skins look together. Merlin being covered in tattoos and Percy with scars.





	Story of our Skin

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to aetherlogic for the help with the tattoos, and the peeps in the Discord server for Percy's scar. You're all amazing!

Merlin stares up that ceiling, watching the play of light from the open window on the ceiling fan. He feels a bead of sweat slide down from his temple to the back of his skull, soaking into the pillow. Beside him Percy groans and shifts and Merlin is already closing his eyes in anticipation of the complaint about the heat.

(“You were the one who insisted that we holiday in Marrakesh in July.” “And you were the one to book us a room with no air conditioning.” “I was going for someplace we could actually be left in peace. You know that Harry and Eggsy would have found any excuse to crash our vacation if we’d been some place nicer.”)

But instead he just feels the faint trace of fingers over his shoulder and down his arm. Cracking open his eyes again, he turns his head to look. 

“What are you doing, mo ghràdh?”

Percy’s hand stills and then he moves closer to Merlin’s side so he can drape his arm across Merlin’s thighs. Merlin groans and starts to roll away. “As much as I’d enjoy that any other time-”

“God no. We’d melt,” Percy interrupts before Merlin can pull fully away. Settling back, Merlin quirks his eyebrow at him, a silent query for him to continue. “No, I was just thinking about how we look so different and yet seem to belong together anyways.”

Merlin glances down their bodies to see where Percy’s thumb is slowly rubbing over his skin. Underneath his finger is one of the first tattoos that he ever got, a compass rose resting on a scrap of his family tartan.

“Your tattoos are like a map of your past,” Percy says, “and my scars are the same.” He turns his arm so the jagged scar down the length of his forearm is visible, and Merlin reaches out to run his thumb over the raised ridge.

“Aye, but my tattoos were never caused by flying shrapnel that I had to pull out and sew up myself.” 

Merlin remembers watching Percy through his glasses feed ripping open the sleeve of his suit to get to his arm. The blood flowing steadily down his hand as Merlin’s fingers fly over his keyboard to find the closest friendly agencies to extract him. The hiss of Percy’s breath as he used the emergency med kit to sew the wound as Merlin promised him that backup was on the way.

Merlin’s voice gets rougher as he continues. “You scared the shite out of me that mission. I didn’t think we’d get you out in time.”

“I never had any doubt.” Percy presses his lips to the top of Merlin’s shoulder, where he knows the Kingsman symbol is on his pauldron tattoo. 

But Merlin understands what Percy means about their skin. They both wear reminders of things they’ve survived to get here, together. 

Ignoring the feel of sweat slicked skin sticking together, Merlin pulls Percy a little closer so he can turn his head and press a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Maybe we should find a tattoo parlor tomorrow, and we can both get something to commemorate surviving this heat.”

Percy laughs against Merlin’s skin before rolling back to his own side of the bed. Merlin sighs in relief as Percy’s heat dissipates. But he’s quick to find Percy’s hand in the space between them on the bed. Twining their fingers together, he closes his eyes. Regardless of the heat, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here with the man he loves.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr: [insanereddragon](insanereddragon.tumblr.com).


End file.
